Wire covering machine



July 28, 1936. P. M. ROGERS 2,048,893

WIRE COVERING MACHINE Filed Sept. 14, 1935 '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. P404 Mlaacrfes'.

ATTORNEYS July 28, 1936. P. M. ROGERS WIRE COVERING MACHINE Filed Sept. 14, 1955 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS July 28, 1936. P. M. ROGERS WIRE COVERING MACHINE Filed Sept. 14, 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. 1 404 M ROSE/Q15,

' 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS July 28, 1936. P M. ROGERS WIRE COVERING MACHINE Filed Sept. 14, 1935 P404 MZPOGEEJ'.

WIRE COVERING MACHINE Filed Sept. 14, 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 l jrf a INVENTOR.

1910/. Mfiosaes.

ATTORNEYS July 28, 1936. P. M. ROGERS 2,048,893

WIRE COVERING MACHINE Filed Sept. 14, 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR 1 404 M/POGEES.

gwa WWW ATTORNEYS) July 28, 1936. P. M. ROGERS WIRE COVERING MACHINE R m m V m 7 Sheets$heet 7 ATTORNEYS Filed Sept. 14, 1955 la/LMleDGE/afi.

Patented July 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,048,893 WIRE COVERING MACHINE Paul M. Rogers, Orange, ,Calif.,

Anaconda Wire & Cable Company,

assignor to New York,

10 Claims.

This invention relates to wire covering machines and more particularly to machines of the type adapted to produce so-called weatherproof. wire. Such wire is preferably covered with a bulky absorbent material over which a jacket is formed. The bulky material is advantageous because it gives a maximum thickness of insulation at a relatively low cost, such material being adapted for treatment by conventional impregnating substances such as asphalt, pitch and the like.

It is advantageous to utilize bulky material next to the wire which is wrapped around or progresses helically therearound rather than strands which extend longitudinally of the wire, because such longitudinal application of the strands permits the same to splay apart either when the wire is bent or during its application. The bulky strands used are in the nature of cotton slivers or socalled slubber roving. This material is inherently very weak. It resembles raw cotton, except that it has been carded and formed into a stringlike body.

The machine of the present invention is peculiarly well suited for handling cotton sliver or roving. This material is referred to herein as a bulky strand. Such bulky strand is not to be confused with the thin threads or strands usually used in forming braids or woven fabrics. The machine of the present invention includes a rotating table adapted to carry a plurality of spools of the bulky strands and means for feeding such strands through hollow guides carried by a revolving deck, which deck is rotatable and provided with a plurality of thread carriers adapted to traverse undulating paths of thread carriers moving in opposite directions in opposite paths so as to interconnect thin threads of ample strength with the bulky weak strands. The machine is also provided with another deck effective to Weave a tight braid around the interconnected bulky and weak strands above referred to.

In the drawings which are illustrative of the invention- Fig. 1 is an elevation illustrating the entire machine; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 of the lower portion of. the machine; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view on line 6-6 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail section on line of Fig. 5 illustrating the drive for revolving deck; Fig. 8 is a detail section on line 88 of Fig. 4 illustrating the drive of the horn gears on the thread carriers; Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail of the hollow guide adapted to direct the bulky strands through the rotating deck and to the braiding point; Fig. 10 is an enla-rged detail view illustrating weatherproof wire covered by the machine illustrated; Fig. 11 is a detail elevation of. the tension adjuster; Fig. 12 is a plan view thereof.

Referring first to Fig. 10, the machine of the present invention is adapted to cover a wire or conductor Iii with bulky strands I2 formed of cotton sliver, roving or other bulky material, which is inherently weak. The machine is effective to Wrap a plurality of such strands helically around the wire or conductor I0 and during such wrapping to interbraid therewith a plurality of relatively strong threads I4, thus distributing the cotton sliver or roving uniformly around the wire and binding it in place with the net-like structure formed of the braided threads l4. Over this, there is then braided an outermost jacket It made up of fibrous threads which are applied by a combination of cooperating instrumentalities driven from the same drive which actuates the mechanism for interconnecting the bulky strands l2 with the fine threads l4.

Referring now to the mechanism which secures this result, I provide a rotating table l8 which is secured to a sleeve 20 through which the wire or other conductor Ii) to be covered extends. The sleeve 20,-at its lower end, is provided with a roller bearing 22 supported from a fixed base member 24. At its upper end, this sleeve is secured to a hollow bushing 26, whose lower end is made fast to and moved with the lower plate 28 of a sub-assembly of parts herein referred to as the revolving deck. This revolving deck includes an upper plate 30, which is secured at spaced points to the lower plate 28 by a plurality of pillars 32.

A ring gear 34 having external teeth is secured to the underside of the plate 39 by a suitable fastening means as shown. This gear meshes with an idler 36 which is driven by a gear 38 carried by a vertical shaft 40, which at its lower end carries a gear 42 meshing with an idler 44 drivenby bevel gears 46 and 48 from the main drive shaft 50.

The respective plates 28 and 30 of the revolving deck make a freely rotating fit with bearing rings 52 and 54 secured respectively to fixed plates 56 and '58 supported on suitable standards.

Secured to the plate 58, there is a fixed gear 60 having internal teethwhich mesh with an idler gear-62 which engages one of a plurality of horn gears 64. As shown in Fig. 4, there are six horn gears 64 all in mesh. Three alternate ones are pierced by guide tubes 66, which have similar tubes 68 secured to their upper ends. The tubes 68 are provided with upwardly inclined extensions in of hollow tubular form shown in Figs. 2 and 9 which are adapted to guide the bulky strands to the braiding point, as will hereinafter more fully appear. Adjacent the braiding point, as best shown in Figs. 11 and 12, I provide a tension adjustment which includes a pair of adjustable clamp members H and 13. The latter is mounted on an upright 15 secured to and moving with the plate 39 of the revolving deck.

The horn gears have vertically extending hubs to the upper ends of which are secured notched disc-like members 12 for coaction with projections 74 extending downwardly from thread carriers l and 78.

A plurality of plates, indicated at 80 and a centrally located plate 82, are secured in such relationship to cut away portions 84 formed in the plate 39 as to form the crossing undulating guide slots 85 and 85. The arrangement is such that the thread carriers 16 traverse the guide slots 8-3 in a general clockwise direction while the thread carriers 18 traverse the guide slot 85 in a general counter-clockwise direction.

The revolving table [8, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, carries a plurality of upright spindles 83 adapted to support cops 90 of bulky strands, such as sliver or slubber roving. In the machine illustrated, a generous supply of such bulky strand material can be readily provided due to the fact that this supply is supported by the rotary deck carrying the carriers which handle the threads 14. The bulky strands 12 are led from the cops 99 through strand guides 92 carried by a fitting 94 secured to the rotating tubular upright 20. The strand is then led through the guide tube 65 which pierces the horn gear and thence through the lateral extension and is delivered in the immediate zone of the braiding point. In this way, centrifugal force of the highly rotating parts is prevented from disrupting this weak, bulky strand of fluffy cotton or the like. In operation, it will be understood, that as the revolving deck rotates in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow X in Fig. 6 a plurality of the bulky slivers will be wrapped around the conductor H] which is fed axially of the rotating deck.

In the machine illustrated, there are six cops of slivers mounted on the rotating table l8. Two individual slivers or bulky strands are fed to each of three of the guide tubes which pierce the horn gears. Thus, a double strand is fed through each of the three horn gears. If desired, it is understood that the table could be provided with only three cops so as to give less bulk to the wire covering or to further increase the bulk of the covering, the lower table [8 could be made of a larger size, so as to accommodate nine or more cops so a triple strand could be fed through each of the three guide tubes piercing the horn gears. And thus a generous supply of bulky sliver, by reason of the fact that it is all supported below the braiding iustrumentalities, will not unduly enlarge the revolving deck.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that as the table it carrying the bulky strand supplies rotates the revolving braiding deck also rotates in synchronism therewith. And during this rotating movement of the braiding deck the carriers 75 are traveling in a clockwise direction relatively to the clockwise rotation of the deck, these carriers 16 always passing inside of the sliver guide tubes 68. At the same time, the carriers 78 are partaking of the clockwise movement of the revolving deck, but at the same time are moving counter-clockwise relatively to the carrier.

The net effect of this motion is to apply the bulky strands in a nature of a helical wrapping around the conductor and at the same time to interconnect the thin strong threads I 4, it being understood, of course, that these threads are supplied from suitable bobbins on the carriers 16 and- 18.

Located above the revolving deck, which applies the bulky strands and the fine strands N, there is a combination of coacting instrumentalities including carriers, indicated generally at 96. These carriers are actuated by a known type of braiding machine mechanism and need not be further described herein, except to say that the mechanism is coordinated with the improved mechanism hereinab'ove described by reason of the fact that the vertical shaft 40 is effective to drive the carriers 96. Thus, as the wire or conductor l0 passes through the machine, the bulky slivers III are interconnected with the fine threads M by my improved mechanism, as described in detail, whereupon this intermediate produce is then fed to a point where the carriers 96 form the braid l6 therearound, thus completing the product. This wire covered product is then well adapted to be saturated by various means, known to those skilled in the art, such as passing it through a tank containing asphalt, pitch or the like.

While I have described in specific detail the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated it is to be understood that modifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made without departure from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:-

1. A machine for interconnecting relatively bulky strands with thin threads, comprising a rotating table carrying supplies of such bulky strands, a deck rotating in synchronism therewith and carrying guides for the bulky strands, a plurality of thread carriers which partake of the rotary motion of said deck and means carried by the deck effective to move separate sets of the thread carriers in reverse directions along crossing undulating paths whereby the threads are interconnected with the bulky strands as the latter are laid up helically about the axis of rotation of the deck.

2. A machine for covering a conductor with interconnected relatively bulky strands and thin threads, comprising a guide for the conductor, rotating means for applying the bulky strands so they all progress helically in the same direction around the conductor, sets of thread carriers and operating means therefor effective to interbraid the fine threads with the bulky strands.

3. A machine for covering a conductor with interconnected relatively bulky strands and thin threads, comprising a guide for the conductor, a

carriers partaking of the rotary movement of the deck and propelling means for said carriers including gears rotatable axially of said tubular guides, a fixed internal gear and an idler mounted on said rotary deck effective to drive said propelling means through said gears.

4. A machine for covering a conductor with interconnected relatively bulky weak fibrous strands and thin strong threads comprising, a deck having top and bottom plates secured in spaced relationship, means coacting with the top plate to define undulating crossing guide slots, thread carriers with parts traversing said slots, propelling means for the latter carried by horn gears, tubular strand guides extending axially through some of said propelling means and horn gears, an internal gear effective to drive said horn gears, a table, below said deck and rotating therewith, supports for a plurality of rolls of said bulky strand material carried by said table.

5. A machine for covering a conductor with interconnected relatively bulky weak fibrous strands and thin strong threads comprising, a deck having top and bottom plates secured in spaced relationship, means coacting with the top plate to define undulating crossing guide slots, thread carriers with parts traversing said slots, propelling means for the latter carried by horn gears, tubular strand guides extending axially through some of said propelling means and horn gears, an internal gear effective to drive said horn gears, an external ring gear eifective to rotate said deck and a combination of coacting instrumentalities above said deck effective 'to form a braid around the interconnected strands and threads applied to the, conductor by the coaction of the other elements recited and a common driving mechanism for said external ring gear and said coacting instrumentalities.

6. A machine for interconnecting relatively bulky strands with thin threads, comprising a rotating table carrying supplies of such bulky strands, a deck rotating in synchronism therewith and carrying guides for the bulky strands, a plurality of thread carriers which partake of the rotary motion of said deck and means carried by the deck effective to move separate sets of the thread carriers in reverse directions along crossing undulating paths whereby the threads are interconnected with the bulky strands as the latter are laid up helically about the axis of rotation of the deck and a combination of coacting instrurnentalities above said deck effective to form a braid around the interconnected strands and threads applied to the conductor by the coaction of the other elements recited and a common driving mechanism for said deck and said coacting instrumentalities.

'7. A machine for covering a conductor with interconnected relatively bulky strands and thin threads, comprising a guide for the conductor, rotating means for applying the bulky strands so they all progress helically in the same direction around the conductor, sets of thread carriers and operating means therefor effective to interbraid the fine threads with the bulky strands, said operating means including horn gears some of which are pierced by hollow strand guides which have inward extensions delivering the bulky strands approximately to the braiding point.

8. A machine for covering a conductor with interconnected relatively bulky strands and thin threads, comprising a guide for the conductor, rotating means for applying the bulky strands so they all progress helically in the same direction around the conductor, sets of thread carriers and operating means therefor effective to interbraid the fine threads with the bulky strands, said operating means including horn gears some of which are pierced by hollow strand guides which have inward extensions delivering the bulky strands approximately to the braiding point and a rotary table driven in synchronism with the aforesaid mechanism and carrying supports for supply rolls of the bulky strands and guiding means rotating with the table insuring proper movement of the strands from the supply rolls to the said guides which pierce the horn gears.

9. A machine for covering a conductor with interconnected relatively bulky strands and thin threads, comprising a guide for the conductor, rotating means for applying the bulky strands so they all progress helically in the same direction around the conductor, sets of thread carriers, operating means therefor effective to interbraid the fine threads with the bulky strands, and adjustable tension members supported for engagement with the interbraided bulky strands and thin threads.

10. A machine for covering a conductor with interconnected relatively bulky strands and thin threads, comprising a guide for the conductor, rotating means for applying the bulky strands so they all progress helically in the same. direction around the conductor, sets of thread carriers and operating means therefor effective to interbraid the fine threads with the bulky strands, said operating means including horn gears some of which are pierced by hollow strand guides which have inward extensions delivering the bulky strands approximately to the braiding point, tension clamp means supported in juxtaposition to the extremities of said inward extensions for engagement with the interbraided bulky strands and thin threads.

PAUL M. ROGERS. 

